Carry on Dancing
by Shannon True
Summary: SD In one ordinary battle, the fate of the senshi has changed, maybe forvever... Rated PG for now, that may change later.
1. Carry on Dancing ch 1

Here it is, as usual I don't own the rights...  
  
Carry on Dancing  
  
Chapter 1  
  
The first thing I remember is waking up that day. I was in my bed, in my apartment, Lita and Amy were watching TV and talking in the living room already. The red numbers of my digital clock across the room glared 11:30 at me. I groaned and rolled over again.  
  
Saturday is my favorite day of the week. No work, no obligations, just sleeping, eating and having fun. Although I used to loathe missing the Saturday morning cartoons, I noticed that as I got older the cartoons just weren't what they used to be. What had happened to my Smurfs and Ninja Turtles? I could no longer enjoy a bowl of Cocoa Krispies and sing along to the theme songs. So now I sleep in and enjoy my Krispies later.  
  
I finally pulled myself from my bed and staggered into the living room swiping hair from my face and rubbing my eyes. I yawned and crashed onto the nearest couch. Lita and Amy watched the spectacle from the kitchen table.  
  
"Welcome to the world of the living." Said Lita rising to grab a new bowl from the cupboard. "Hungry?"  
  
"Stupid question." Said Amy sipping her OJ.  
  
I grinned at her and hurried to the table. "What are we doing today?" I asked filling my bowl with my Krispies and snagging the milk.  
  
"Well Amy and I were just discussing maybe doing something new." Said Lita resuming her seat.  
  
I cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean new?"  
  
"Well," said Amy looking at Lita before turning to me "Do you know that costume you have from Halloween?"  
  
"You mean the Sailor Moon costume?" I asked shoveling Krispies into my mouth.  
  
"That's the one." Said Lita. "We wondered if you wanted to do a little, cos- play."  
  
I dropped my spoon into my cereal. "Are you guys yanking my chain? You really want to dress up and 'play' Sailor Moon." Lita grinned at me and Amy nodded. "I know you you're just humoring me Amy, and Lita, I know you like the show as much as I do, but ...are you serious? You want to play Sailor Moon all day?"  
  
"We figured you would like the idea." Said Amy beaming at me. "You deserve something nice today, you've been having a rough time lately. Lets have some fun!"  
  
I sat in shock for about thirty seconds before I jumped up out of my chair knocking it to the floor. "Awesome!" I exclaimed pumping my hand in the air. "I'm gonna go shower really quick and then get my costume. You guys still have yours right?"  
  
"Yup, we'll change while you're getting ready." Said Lita rising and pushing me toward my room. "Hurry up and we'll set up the living room."  
  
I hugged her enthusiastically and rushed to my room.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lita turned back to the table and started to clear the dishes. "Are you sure this is going to work?" She asked starting the sink and rinsing out bowls. "The last few tries have only begun to make her miserable. I'm beginning to think she'll never remember."  
  
"We're just lucky that she doesn't realize we're the ones making her miserable." Said Amy whipping out her cell phone mini computer.  
  
"I still think we should just bash her over the head again and pray that it works." Said Lita loading the dishwasher.  
  
Amy sighed and punched a few buttons. "I can't guarantee that will work. It may, in all probability, only make the amnesia worse. Another blow could do her in. She could wake up and not remember us at all."  
  
"If we don't get her back soon, we'll really be in trouble though. The last two youma we fought we were barely able to kill. I guess we never realized how important she really is." Lita sat back down at the table and sipped her juice. "I didn't want to ask, but have you...have you noticed a reduction in your powers?"  
  
Amy looked up from her computer at Lita. "I wasn't going to say anything..." Began Amy removing her glasses. "I suppose now is as good a time as ever." She stood and paced the dining room for a moment before turning back to Lita. "Basically what's happened is a regression. Rei noticed it and I know Mina has but she's afraid to say anything. Essentially, with Serena in the condition she's in currently, we've regressed back to our regular powers. We have what we started with when we became senshi. Without Serena's knowledge of being Sailor Moon, and most importantly the Moon Princess, she doesn't know about the Silver Crystal. Although that doesn't keep it from existing all together, as we know for that to happen she would have to die, it does keep her from using it."  
  
Lita sat for a moment stunned. She had been feeling weaker lately, she figured she was tired or imagining it. She could hardly believe that it could have been true. "So...what do we do? I mean, suppose she never remembers. All the 'coincidences' we've fixed up have caused nothing but trouble. The last time Luna tried the mind meld, Serena collapsed, I was afraid she wouldn't ever come to."  
  
Amy twirled her glasses a moment. "I've been running separate outcomes to imagine what would happen should she never regain her memories. At this point, it seems we may loose almost all of our powers. We'd be nearly as helpless as normal humans. At some point our transformation pens will stop working and the next time a youma appears, well..."  
  
Lita swallowed her juice slowly. Never be a Sailor Senshi again, she couldn't imagine it. Her whole life now was being a Senshi. All her friends, the world, what would happen if they couldn't transform. She pounded her fist onto the table and Amy winced from across the room. "We can't let that happen. We have to get her back, we need her, and the world needs her. If the wrong person found out what was going on, I can't imagine the consequences." Lita said standing.  
  
"Exactly." Amy said replacing her glasses and putting her phone in her pocket. The girls turned as they heard the shower from the next room cut off. "That would be our cue" Said Amy taking out her transformation pen. "This has to work. We have to bring her memories back somehow. If need be I'll ask the other girls to join us, but for now I think we should keep it simple. She doesn't exactly get along with Rei at the moment considering their history and she barely remembers Mina if at all."  
  
Lita grabbed her pen from the counter as well. "I hate to think what Darien must be going through. I saw him walking down the street the other day he looked like he'd been run over a few times. Never even looked up when I said hello, I don't think he even heard me and the last time Serena saw him she practically ran the other way."  
  
"Well, that's another thing. I was thinking..." Began Amy when Serena's door flew open.  
  
"Hey guys, let's do one from Season one, those are my favorite." She said beaming from the door.  
  
"Sure Serena." Said Lita smiling. "Hurry up we're almost ready out here."  
  
"Ok!" She said squealing and slamming the door.  
  
Amy and Lita exchanged another look. "I'll go over that with you later, its one more last ditch effort. We'd better get ready."  
  
"Right!" Said Lita raising her Pen. The two girls called their transformations. Outside a black cat watched lights flickering through a few cracks in the blinds. 'Good luck girls,' she thought 'It's up to you now.'  
  
****************************  
  
Review, review, review....I have more chapters already, lets hear some feedback and I'll post more. : ) 


	2. Carry on Dancing ch 2

Another chapter, hooray! 

I don't own the rights, but we knew that already....  


* * *

Chapter 2  
  
I slammed the door to my room and rushed to my closet. Very neatly folded and wrapped in tissue paper was my pride and joy.  
  
As a Nineteen-year-old girl, there are not many things in my life that I could live without and that especially includes my one of a kind, home made, absolutely perfect replication of Sailor Moon's Senshi uniform. Long hours, many pricked fingers, and a busted sewing machine later I had made the only thing in my life so far that hadn't turned out like crap.  
  
I blew my hair dry, set it up in the buns and pigtails, and carefully donned my costume. I finished by setting the fake gold lame tiara across my brow and striking a pose in front of my full-length mirror. "Perfect!" I exclaimed to my reflection. "All accept for my boots." I said turning and staring into my closet. "Now where did I put them?"  
  
I dug for a few minutes and came up empty handed. I was sure this was where I had left them. The last time I had put the costume on I made sure everything was together before I boxed it up again. 'They're probably out in the storage closet, I'll grab them before we start,' I thought. Slipping on my khaki Ked sandals, I headed for the door.  
  
When I walked into the living room, I barely recognized it. For some unknown reason I was staring at an alley in the dead of the night. A light fog swirled near the ground and I shivered wondering how this was possible.  
  
I inched forward slowly. "Lita?" I asked unsurely. "Amy? What's going on?" I crept slowly in the direction where the other bedrooms should have been. I could see nothing but inky blackness and the outline of what appeared to be a brick wall. It seemed the only brightness was a single pool of light below a lone street lamp to my right. I turned around to find the doorway to my bedroom but that had also disappeared. "You guys?" I called apprehensively.  
  
I approached the wall in front of me. I figured maybe Amy had set up a hologram of some sort. A very good one at that, instead of passing through the wall, my hand felt the rough texture of real brick. I gave it a rap with my fist to make sure I wasn't dreaming and bruised my knuckles.  
  
I was pondering how this was possible when I heard a sharp cry from above. Through an open window I hadn't noticed before, I saw a dark figure illuminated in the blue moonlight shining down. As it disappeared into the room I noticed a fire escape below the window and jumped to reach the bottom wrung. Plodding up the iron steps I made my way toward the room. As I arrived, an errant wind blew the window's lace curtains allowing me to see in.  
  
I was shocked that I recognized it. It was Molly's bedroom. I stepped over the ledge and let out a stunned gasp. Dead center of the room hung Molly, unconscious, in the grasp of an ugly flower youma. At the sound of my inappropriately timed gasp the youma turned and flashed a hideous smile. "Vanpeal." It said dropping the lifeless body of Molly on the ground and turning toward me.  
  
"Uh, stop where you are." I said my mind blanking the moment it had looked at me.  
  
"Vanpeal." The youma said again watching me closely.  
  
"It's not real, it's not real. It's a hologram." I said to quietly to myself. "Get a grip, you can defeat it. Its not real." I looked again at Molly's unmoving body. This sure seemed real though. Stupid Cocoa Krispies, the sugar is messing with my head. I took a deep breath and quickly struck Sailor Moon's signature pose. "Hey you nega...uh, sleaze. Stop where you are, in the name of the moon I'll punish you!"

* * *

Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter exchanged glances as they watched Serena's hesitated speech. "Well, I guess the videos didn't hurt. They certainly gave her more confidence." Said Jupiter.  
  
The girls stood in the same room as Serena and her 'youma'. Without her knowledge, Mercury had not only created a holographic image but had made an entire stage set of a repressed memory of Serena's. Although Serena thought she was inside an episode of Sailor Moon she was actually reliving a not so long ago memory of her own life.  
  
Mercury and Jupiter were watching from outside the set wavelength parameters through VR visors of Mercury's. Only to Serena was the world she was currently in 'Real'.  
  
The youma stared for a moment at Serena before extending one of its arms. "Vanpeal." It said again and a vine flew out and captured her around the neck. With a sharp cry Serena reached up and tried tugging the tightening vine loose. Its length glowed eerily for a moment and Serena began to get light headed. "I ...I thought...this wasn't...real." She stammered sinking to her knees.  
  
Jupiter stepped forward to help but Mercury put a hand out and stopped her. "It's up to her. This is in her mind, either she'll remember something or pass out trying." The girls watched as Serena continued to drift slowly toward the floor.  
  
Mercury raised her mini computer to turn the program off just as she began to fear that Serena might actually loose consciousness when a surprising thing happened. From the open window a red rose flew through and cut the vine from her neck. Serena sucked in huge gasps of air as she lay on the floor and the youma writhed backwards from the sudden pain and surprise.  
  
Serena sat up slowly, rubbing her neck. The moonlight from the window washed down on her as she craned her head upwards to see who had rescued her from the clutches of the youma. In the moonlight, a dark figure stood on the rail of the fire escape shrouded in shadow. All she could make out was a familiar top hat and cape. The figure on the rail raised two gloved figures and saluted her. With a sudden leap backwards it disappeared from sight.  
  
Mercury and Jupiter stood with their mouths hanging open at the view before them. Jupiter blinked her eyes owlishly and rubbed them under the goggles for good measure. "Did I just see that?" She asked aloud.  
  
Mercury nodded and punched a few buttons on her computer without ever looking away from the scene. "Apparently, even when she doesn't remember a thing, what really happened that night is more over powering than what was in the episode shown on TV. It seems her memories are still there. This makes me wonder if perhaps that idea I had about..." Mercury stopped her ramblings as her computer began to beep. Jupiter looked over at Mercury as she typed in a few commands. She looked up worriedly "A youma."  
  
"Now?" Asked Jupiter sharply. Mercury nodded. With a few keystrokes the nighttime vision faded around Serena. She sat on the carpeted floor of her living room staring at the white wall where the window had been. "Who was that?" she breathed out.  
  
"Uh, Serena." Said Jupiter. "How about we take this outside, it could be fun. You know running around in your costume. I bet people will recognize you and think you're really her."  
  
Serena looked up at the two girls who stood at the edge of the living room looking down at her. "Come on lets go!" Said Mercury with a smile.  
  
"But you hate to wear this in public, Amy" Said Serena standing slowly and wobbling a bit unsteadily as she gained her feet.  
  
"Careful," Said Mercury with a sly wink "Only use my Senshi name when I'm dressed this way. You never know who's listening. As for being seen in public, I don't mind. It'll be fun. I promise not to complain."  
  
Serena grinned broadly and walked towards the two girls. "This is gonna be so much fun! Let's go!"

* * *

Alright, just so no one reads this and I get a hundred reviews saying "Hey, this story is switching point of views!", I know. I did it on purpose. I wanted to be able to be inside Serena's head but also know what was going on when she left the room. There will be some chapters that are completely her point of view and some that are third person, but you'll be able to tell the difference. The first few start off with Serena's POV and switch half way through, hence the lines in the middle. I do have more chapters already and I've decided to try and post one every week or every two weeks to keep me on my toes. Let me know what you think so far. Thanks! Shannon 


	3. Carry on Dancing ch 3

As promised...

* * *

Chapter 3  
  
I plodded towards the front door and threw it open. Across from me, the door of our neighbor's apartment flew open at the same time and a girl dressed in a Sailor Venus costume charged out. As she saw me emerge she came to a stop and stared for a moment. I saw her look at what I was wearing, including the Ked sandals still on my feet, and furrow her brow.  
  
"Serena?" She asked uncertainly.  
  
"Uh, yea, that'd be me. That's a nice costume, where did you get yours?" I asked taking in the flawless uniform before me. I saw her eyes dart past me and I looked over my shoulder. Behind me Jupiter was coming through the door.  
  
"Does she know?" The blonde girl addressed Jupiter as she joined us.  
  
"Of course she knows you'll be joining us, Venus. Serena, I'd like to introduce you to our neighbor who will be playing Sailor Venus for us on our outing, Mina Aino." Said Jupiter smiling broadly at Venus.  
  
"Nice to meet you." I said staring at her. "I think we've met before haven't we?"  
  
"Yea, I think so." Venus said smiling at me. "Well we better get going. I hear the park is a good place to start."  
  
"Yes, that's where we need to go." Said Amy appearing from inside the apartment. She turned and locked the front door behind her. "And we better hurry!"  
  
The girls all nodded and the three dashed down the stairs together. "Wait up!" I called as I followed behind them.  
  
As the girls rushed down the streets I struggled to keep up. The sandals I was wearing, although my favorite and very comfortable, kept tripping me up. I'd already fallen twice and I was just starting to contemplate taking them off when I saw the girls hurry across the street and disappear into the trees surrounding the park. "Hey!" I called.  
  
I followed where I had seen them disappear and as I came into sight of them again I noticed they were all standing very still and another girl, dressed as Sailor Mars, had joined them. "You guys could have waited for me you know!" I exclaimed striding toward them.  
  
"Look out!" Cried Jupiter jumping at me and knocking me to the ground.  
  
"What gives! Are you..." I began trying to shove Jupiter off me. Suddenly I heard something fly by over our heads. I looked up to see a very sharp object imbed itself into a tree. "What the hell is that?!" I asked pointing a gloved finger. Jupiter rolled away from me and sprang up.  
  
"Just be careful." She said standing near me. "Try to avoid getting hit by those things ok?"  
  
"Sure." I said uncertainly. I stood up and brushed myself off. As I turned to find out where the strange flying thing had come from I saw Venus leap into action with her Love Chain. It flew through the air and lassoed the weirdest thing I had ever seen.  
  
It appeared to be a giant glass bottle, a beer bottle from the look and color. From its sides protruded arms and from its bottom were two legs. The neck of the bottle had a rather squished looking face. "Hopper!" It exclaimed as Venus' chain wrapped around its body.  
  
"Where did he get that costume?!" I exclaimed loudly.  
  
With a mighty flex it threw off the chain and jumped back a foot. "Hopper!" It said again, in its hands appeared more of the flying objects. Like ninja stars, it began throwing the items at Venus and Mercury. I watched as the girls ducked and threaded through the onslaught. "Quit picking on them!" I cried at the creature. It turned its body toward me and started to launch the objects in my direction. "Aw crap." I said as they headed my way. I started ducking and weaving myself to avoid the objects.  
  
"Do something!" Shouted Jupiter as I dodged. I hesitated a moment and the creature threw another one of the things at me. I put out a hand and I heard the girls gasp in the background and Venus yell "Duck!" as it got nearer.  
  
As it came toward me I snatched at it and stopped the object mid-flight. I looked at the thing in my hand. It resembled a cardboard restaurant coaster, only with sharp edges. I stood there wondering about the 'weapon' for a moment. As I looked up I watched the creature wind up and begin throwing more at me. As the coasters reached me I grabbed them. Every one the monster had thrown I seized from the air like mini flying discs.  
  
The girls were enthralled watching me. They stood mouths agape, hands at their sides, no longer worried that I was being pummeled by coasters. I was getting quite a stack of them when it occurred to me that I could use them. Snatching one out of the air I did a quick spin and sent the coaster flying back at the creature. It caught an oncoming coaster and the two collided with a metallic clang. They fell with a thump to the grass below, embedded in one another.  
  
I started slinging the rest one by one back at the creature. 'Like throwing a Frisbee or discus', I thought. With a mighty ring the first few coasters pelted the monsters large beer bottle belly. As I threw more, a crack formed around its mid section. It gave an aggrieved "Hopper!" and then ran at me. With my ammo gone I had nothing to protect me from a direct collision. I watched in what seemed like slow motion as it charged toward me.  
  
I stood rooted to the spot. Terror flooded me. I knew then that this was no mere person in a costume. Whatever game I thought this was had turned serious. As it bore down on me I closed my eyes thinking that there was nothing I could do. I started to put my arms up in a defensive position, fully sure the next thing I would feel would be the glass bottle ramming me when I was suddenly airborne.  
  
I peeked one eye open and saw the ground below me a good ten or fifteen feet. The arms that surrounded me were strong and sure as we flew into the treetops. I hung on to the mans neck more tightly as we came to rest on a branch high above the fight. From my precarious position it appeared the man wore a tuxedo and cape. Perched atop his head was a black top hat and most of his face remained covered behind a white mask.  
  
I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. He was watching the girls below as they began dealing the final deathblow to the beer bottle creature. "Tuxedo...Mask?" I asked hesitantly. He turned his gaze immediately to my own. The shock and surprise in his piercing blue eyes was evident.  
  
"You know who I am?" He asked in a mellow baritone voice. I looked at him for a moment collecting my thoughts. I knew for sure he was Tuxedo Mask, thanks to the videos I had been watching, but what I was unsure of was the sudden image I had of this same predicament. As if something like this had happened before to me. I was sure I had never seen this man before but again I had the urge that maybe I had. His eyes, the gaze, and especially the way he was holding me sent chills though my body.  
  
"I think so." I said slowly. I gazed openly at his face trying to place the unruly black hair and deep blue eyes.  
  
There was a commotion from below and suddenly the beer bottle creature launched two last coasters into the trees where we stood. Tuxedo Mask ducked out of their way and covered us in his cape for extra insurance. I heard a large crack from above us as if the tree were falling apart. The last thing I remember were the branches crashing down around us.

* * *

Hey I rule, I put another chapter out for you people. I hope somebody is reading this. I would hate to think I suck that badly. Ah well, I'll get more out soon I have plenty more to post as soon as I edit. Thanks! Shannon 


	4. Carry on Dancing ch 4

Here's another...

* * *

Darien continued to watch over the young girl as she slept. Amy was taking her pulse one final time, although she had already sworn that Serena was indeed sleeping and there wouldn't be any more damage to her memories. She put her stethoscope away and motioned for Darien to follow her from the room.

As they entered the living room, Darien noticed that the rest of the girls were sitting and having tea. The silence in the room was disheartening, the usual banter of the group replaced by a somber quiet. It had been that way for the last few weeks. Serena lived as if nothing had ever happened, with the only mention of Sailor Moon from her regarding the TV show she continued to watch. Without her laughter and excitement to fuel the fire that usually sparked when the girls were together the room seemed empty.

As soon as Darien and the girls had arrived at the apartment and detransformed, Darien and Amy had immediately taken Serena to her room. They kept the girls out while Amy ran some tests, so as they emerged from her room they were pounced on immediately.

After assuring the girls that Serena was fine a silence settled again. Rei took a sip of her tea and looked at Darien expectantly. "So what happened exactly when the youma threw those last two discs at you. She wasn't hit was she?"

"No." Said Darien putting his head in hands. "I had us both under my cape. They missed us but managed to cut through a few upper branches, which crashed down onto us. I thought we were covered completely but apparently one of the branches must have hit her."

Lita patted the grieving man on the back, trying to be light. "I know it was my idea earlier that we just bash her over the head one more time, but I'm beginning to think that girl is going to have permanent brain damage if she keeps getting hit. I mean, that first one she took that started this whole mess three months ago was bad enough."

The other girls nodded and the living room was quiet once more. Darien was sure as he looked around at the worried faces of the girls that they were all thinking about the same thing, the accident that had taken Serena's memories.

The accident occurred with a routine youma. The girls had arrived, given their usual speeches and were ingrained in battle. Sailor Moon, who had used her tiara and was powering up her Moon Scepter, never even saw the attack coming. Tuxedo Mask arrived on the scene just in time to witness Sailor Moon being thrown backwards by the blast, and was seconds too late as she plowed into the cement fountain in the middle of the park. He jumped in after her to keep her from drowning but the damage was done. He cradled her in his arms and watched in horror as her transformation faded and a single trickle of blood fell from her ear.

His anguished cry scared the Senshi far more than having watched Serena detransform. They watched him leap over the fountains side and lay Serena gently on the ground. Taking off his cape he tenderly covered her unmoving form and ran at the youma with his cane out. The girls watched as Darien surged forward, a pain and anger etched across his face they had never seen before.

By the fifth stride the aura surrounding him was blood red and his Tuxedo shimmered into the form of Prince Darien. Now brandishing his sword at the youma, he reached it at full speed, and in three strong slashes the youma fell dead at his feet. It had never even gotten the chance to make an attack. With his blood still boiling, he continued to stab at the thing until its body disappeared into the usual dust.

The girls stunned by the Prince's actions could only stand and stare. He watched it blow away in the breeze, collected himself and rushed back to Serena's side. As he fell to his knees his transformation faded and he picked Serena up gently and held her unmoving form in his arms.

"Mercury." He said unable to tear his gaze from Serena. Sailor Mercury rushed to his side and began scanning her body with her VR goggles and computer. It took only seconds to compare the new scan to a recent one had she had taken as a routine check up.

"Its her frontal lobe. The trauma is serious, we need to get her to the apartment so I can scan her more thoroughly and begin treatment." She looked up at Darien and paused a moment. "This could be very bad. We need to help her now."

Amy, with the help of some equipment from the base in the Arcade, managed to save Serena's life and repair most of the tissue damage. Serena drifted into and out of consciousness, the girls taking turns keeping a diligent watch.

But Darien never left. He lived on minutes of sleep a day and the strongest black coffee Lita could make. Though they tried to persuade him that even a few hours of sleep wouldn't hurt, he refused to leave her side lest anything should happen. Amy tried to assure him that Serena would live, as long as she woke up, but they wouldn't know what the outcome would be until she could speak to them.

Almost exactly a week to the day of the accident, Serena opened her eyes. She looked around her room, taking in the familiar surroundings. She saw Lita lounging on her chair in the corner reading a book and a young black haired man standing at her window, one hand in his pocket the other propping him against the frame as he stared out.

As she struggled to sit up, the bed creaked with her weight and both the young man and Lita glanced up quickly at her. Lita's eyes grew wide and she dropped the book she had been holding. In two strides the young man was across the room and had gripped her hands in his own. He kneeled beside the bed and Lita rushed to the door calling out as she went. In moments a group of people had entered her room.

Amy came forward and scanned her with what looked like her cell phone. "Its seems, that its nearly healed. There are some spots I'm still concerned about but now that she's awake she should recover fully."

The young man clutching her hands continued to stare at her. She glanced at the other people in the room. A girl with long black hair was trying to discreetly wipe away tears, while a girl with long blonde hair pulled back in a huge red bow grinned from ear to ear. She recognized them both but was having trouble placing where.

She looked back again at the young man beside her. His eyes were wistful as he watched her furrow her brow and look at him strangely. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a bit raspy from lack of use. "Why am I in bed with you guys here?"

The girls glanced around at each other for a moment and a concerned look washed over Darien's face. "Um, Serena?" said Lita stepping forward. "What do you remember last?"

Serena thought for a moment growing a bit apprehensive at the question. "I remember coming home from work and having dinner with you and Amy. And then..." She struggled to think for a moment. "Waking up here. Just what's going on any way? And why are you in my room?"

"Serena." Said Amy stepping forward again and using her phone to scan her head "What do you remember about the fight?"

"Fight? What fight?" Said Serena looking worriedly at Lita for help.

For the first time since she had woken Darien spoke up. "Serena, do you know who the Sailor Senshi are?"

Serena sat and stared at Darien again. She realized her hands were still clutched in his and she yanked them away forcefully. "What the hell kind of question is that? Of course I know who the Sailor Senshi are." The girls looked at each other relaxing a bit at her response. "They're the superheroes from that TV show, and I'll thank you not to mock me about that anymore. By the way, who let you in and why? Is this a group meeting to pick on me or some sort of intervention about the show? I've told you before I'm not obsessed! And I recognize you now!" She said pointing a finger at Rei. "You're that psycho girl who threw a piece of paper at me at the Hikawa Shrine and knocked me unconscious for a few hours. And aren't you our neighbor?" She asked referring to Mina.

"You don't remember them?" Asked Amy continuing to punch buttons on her phone.

"What do you mean remember them? Why are you waving your phone at me anyway? Are you feeling ok?" Asked Serena. Amy backed away and put her phone into her pocket.

"Ah I see, well we'll just leave you then, Serena. Sorry to have woken you up. Just come out when you're hungry. Lita's making your favorite tonight: Curried chicken and mashed potatoes. Come on guys." She said hastening for the door.

"Damn right scaring a girl like that!" Said Serena as they group retreated again. "And you keep the creep away from me! Imagine letting him into my room, some friends you are!" She yelled as the door shut behind them.

After that the girls decided in Serena's best interest that they should go along with how she perceived what her world was and leave the memories to return on their own. But a month went by, and then two. Luna began to worry that her memories might never return. She and Amy came up with a plan to lead Serena into a confrontation with Rei and see what might occur. After storming off the grounds of the Shrine, Serena vowed never to return. As she went she ran blindly into Darien and things turned from bad to worse. Serena insulted him, believing they were still mortal enemies, and dashed home to sulk in her room about her bad day.

Amy and Luna had watched as Serena turned haughtily on her heel and rushed away from Darien. He looked as though she had ripped his heart out and done the tango on it for good measure. Never had they seen Darien look so low, even before he and Serena had known about their past.

"We need more than just a plan, Amy," whispered Luna into the girls ear. "I'm going to try the mind meld tonight at the apartment. I have a feeling it may not work, but it's something we have to try."

As she predicted, the mind meld didn't have any affect on Serena and only served to cause her to relapse further. The girls had held a few meetings to discuss what could be done but as the days kept going by they started to despair that Serena would never recover.

Darien stood and shook off the memories. He paced to the edge of the living room. "I'm going in there for a while. At least she can't insult me while she's asleep." He said. He tried to smile for the girl's sake at his joke, but it never reached his eyes. They watched as he disappeared into Serena's room and quietly shut the door.

"This has got to end." Said Mina sitting up on the couch. "I miss hanging out with you guys and I'm right next door. Poor Darien is practically grieving from the loss of his Serena."

The girls nodded together. "Well, I have an idea." Said Amy hopefully. "I was saving it as a last ditch effort and it seems this might be a good time to try. Here's what we have to do..."

* * *

Sorry about the long time between updates. I swear I have more chapters I just can't seem to find time to update and make sure they're ready to go. I'll put more out as soon as possible. Feedback is good! Yay!


	5. Carry on Dancing ch 5

So a long time had passed, we can thank my busted ass computer for the lack of compassion it has shown me lately. Luckily, however, I have friends who love me and loan me entire computers and so here after a grievously long time is another chapter. Thanks for waiting!

* * *

I woke to the smell of roses. When I opened my eyes I was shocked to see vases overflowing on every surface in my room. I watched as another was set on my bedside table, the young delivery boy spilling some of its water onto my comforter.

"Yuck!" I exclaimed shaking the droplets off before they could soak in. On the other side of the room I heard a male voice speak up "Be more careful, please."

The tall man who had saved me the day before was standing on the other side of my bed and he was still wearing his Tuxedo Mask costume. "It's you." I said sitting up. I looked down to find I was still in my own Sailor Moon costume. "What's going on?"

The delivery boy made his way toward my door and as he went the man handed him a few folded bills. Then the man moved toward me and kneeled beside my bed taking one of my gloved hands in his own. "Do remember what happened yesterday?"

"Sure, I went with my friends to the park, there was, well, I thought it was a guy in a costume. We were 'playing' Sailor Moon as you can see." I motioned to my costume. "I played along, almost got clobbered and you showed up. Last thing I remember is being in a tree and you covered me with your cape. And here I am."

He nodded and relaxed a bit. "So you know who I am?" He asked.

"Well, Tuxedo Mask I'd imagine. You look just like the character on TV." I said blushing and pointing to the poster on my wall. He smiled at me then and seemed relieved somehow.

"Are you well enough to get up?" He asked. I nodded and he helped me from the bed. "Any dizziness or anything?" He asked keeping a steady hand on the small of my back. I was still blushing from the close contact he was keeping with me, but I didn't think that was something I should mention.

"I feel fine." I said. My stomach rumbled loudly and he looked down at me for a moment. I blushed deeper, if possible. "I am a little hungry."

He laughed then, it was a gentle happy laugh and I smiled at the sound of it. For some reason I was thrilled that I had been able to make him chuckle.

"How about I take us out for breakfast." He said leading me out into the living room. Amy and Lita, also still dressed as Mercury and Jupiter, which I was beginning to think was odd, were sitting on the couch. "I'm taking Sailor Moon out for breakfast." He told the girls in the living room. I hesitated a moment at the use of that name. I had to admit being addressed as her was thrilling, but he must know who I really am, he knows where I live, and if he's part of this whole lets 'play' Sailor Moon thing the girls must know who he is. Why aren't we all in normal clothes and calling each other by name? They didn't have to keep this up any longer.

I was about to voice this when Tuxedo Mask headed me in the direction of the hall. "Let's go." He said rushing me to the door. I barely had time to slip on my sandals before he guided me out and down the stairs. Sitting in front of the building was a sleek BMW. He opened the door to the passenger side and motioned me into it. I sat marveling at the leather interior and full cd-stereo system while he ran around to the other side and jumped in. "I know just the place." He said with a wink. He belted himself in, started the engine, and with a roar we took off down the street.

As soon as the front door shut behind them, Mars and Venus emerged from Lita's room. "So what happened?" asked Mina flopping down on the couch.

"She didn't ask any questions, although I think that if we had given her a second longer she may have." Said Lita turning off the TV.

"So part one went off successfully, I just hope part two does the job." Said Rei picking at invisible lint on her mini skirt.

"Knowing Serena, it just may," Said Amy "Meanwhile we have to get ready for when they return." The girl's nodded in agreement and all headed in different directions to prepare the apartment.

To ensure their privacy Tuxedo Mask took Serena to the Crown Arcade Cafe, making sure Andrew knew they would be showing up and providing a back way in away from the prying eyes of the public. Andrew had long ago been let in on the secret of his most popular customers, especially after he stumbled across the hidden base one night. Darien figured it was also a good place for Serena. In familiar surroundings she was more likely to be at ease.

At breakfast, Tuxedo Mask successfully steered clear of any questions that Serena asked about him outside his Tuxedo Mask persona. Before long she was directing questions about his life as Tuxedo Mask, how long had he been a superhero and why he had started. Without hesitation he told her the story. She sat enthralled with the tale of a lost kingdom and their tragic royalty.

"Its seems so unbelievable." Said Serena sipping her soda. "If there was a kingdom on the Moon though, why haven't they found any remains there? Shouldn't we have seen something?"

"According to the records, it's being hidden by the white light of the Silver Crystal." Said Tuxedo Mask, stirring his black coffee.

"There are records?" Serena asked excitedly.

He nodded his head as he took a sip. "I can show them to you, if you like." He said.

Serena was shocked for a moment. "Can you do that? You won't get in trouble showing a regular person all of these secrets?" She asked.

Tuxedo Mask leaned forward and gazed directly into Serena's shocked eyes. "You're more than just a regular person." He said seriously. Serena raised an eyebrow at the statement. "You're a friend of mine." He replied. He finished his coffee and set his mug back on the table. "Come on." He said standing and holding out a gloved hand to her.

Serena stood excitedly and took his hand. He walked with her into the arcade area and before anyone could notice, they disappeared into a door that Serena had always thought was a broom closet. As he closed them in she became acutely aware of the darkness and the small proximity of the closet. She could feel the press of his body behind her, and had the closet been any smaller, would have had to plaster herself against him. "Uh, any reason you just locked us into a closet?" she joked trying to make light of the situation.

"Just a second." He said, his voice right behind her ear. She shivered in spite of the close confines as his breath tickled the delicate hairs on her neck. It occurred to her suddenly that she was in a broom closet, a dark broom closet, with a man who closely resembled the man on TV that she secretly had a crush on. She was about to pinch herself to make sure she was indeed awake when she heard a soft clicking sound. "There it is." He said against her neck. She let out a heavy breath as his words again moved the hairs on her neck, but all thoughts of being alone in the closet were swept away as the shelf in front of her moved and swung outward.

Ahead, in a passage through the shelf and what should have been the wall, a staircase descended into a far off light. Serena stood staring down into the opening wondering if going was such a good idea after all.

Tuxedo Mask put his hand on the small of her back and guided her forward toward the stairs. Without realizing she had done it, Serena reached for his free hand for support. The shock at the small gesture filled a well he hadn't noticed was empty inside him. Whenever Serena was unsure about something she unconsciously reached for him in this way. Hope bloomed in his heart as he gently but firmly held her small hand in his own. She may not remember it consciously, but she's still in there somewhere, he thought to himself.

They made their way down slowly, Serena picking her steps with care, knowing that with her grace she could at any moment take the two of them on a header for the bottom. The room into which they descended opened wide before them.

It was neat and orderly, a tidiness that the Senshi of Mercury was acutely aware and proud of. A few machines hummed along the back wall, a large table commanded the middle of the room, and bookshelves hugged the rest of the available space. Off to the right was a large storage area where devices were arranged with care. Several looked familiar, wristwatches and peculiar looking pens, and others were wicked looking gadgets that Serena didn't want to contemplate as to their design.

Tuxedo Mask steered her toward the table and pulled out a plush chair for her to sit in. As she sat, he wandered over to a nearby shelf and selected one of the volumes of ancient looking books. The spine of the book had several characters in a language she didn't recognize and the words "The History, Volume V" in English. He placed the book on the table before Serena and stepped back. The large text had only a small crescent moon on the front cover and she traced it with her finger slowly.

The faded leather binding creaked as she opened it to the first page. It began right away, no cover page or contents, and was marked only with the Roman numeral five. For several hours Serena poured over the pages of the thick book. The history was a narrative done by someone on the court. Though the mystery person never identified himself or herself, it seemed they had seen everything that had occurred.

It began as the castle was bombarded by outside forces, covered secret meetings between the Queen and her counselors and generals, where the adoring people had hidden while the war raged, and how the princess' court had defended her until, one by one, they had fallen under the blows of the attacking alien Queen herself in her rage to get to the Prince and Princess.

Most importantly, it held the memories of secret trysts of the future monarchs of the earth and moon, their public revelation of their love, and hopes of the future two kingdoms becoming one.

Serena was awed as she read the accounts of valor and bravery among these people and finally of the Moon Queen herself using the last of her energy to send her daughter, the Earth Prince, the court, and the people of the moon forward into the future to give them new lives.

Serena sat staring at the final page for a few minutes, tears spilling down her cheeks. Tuxedo Mask, who had been working at the computers on the far wall as she read, heard her quiet sniffle, as she had been doing off and on, and turned to see how far she had come. To his surprise he saw her closing the book and trying to staunch the flow of her tears.

He crossed the room quickly and knelt by her chair. As she sniffed again she raised her swimming eyes to his. The anguish there was overwhelming and he leaned forward and tenderly gathered her in a hug. With his arms around her she felt the dam of grief she had been trying to hold back flow free and she sobbed into his shoulder. For several minutes she remained safe in the crook of his arm. Finally, her tears subsided and she took a deep breath to calm herself.

She never in her life would have believed the story could have been true. Although she believed in everything remained a grain of truth, certainly a children's TV show was pure imaginary fluff. The names and places pulled from history as a way to make it more believable, but certainly not real.

"I'm sure you've guessed that the scouts you've seen on the news are these reincarnated people." He said quietly. "What the girls have been trying to tell you for the past few weeks is that they are these people. Amy and Lita are Mercury and Jupiter. The blonde girl who lives across the hall, her name is Mina, and she is Sailor Venus. The young lady who attacked you at the Hikawa Shrine is Rei, one of your very best friends, and she is Mars."

Thanks to her tears, Serena was calm while listening to this. She had certainly been wondering what was going on the past few weeks. Though they had tried to maintain an act of normalcy Serena hadn't been completely fooled. She never mentioned being frightened one night at hearing noises in the apartment and after a quiet investigation found both Amy and Lita sneaking back in from somewhere. She'd put it aside to ask later, but she had caught them several more times after. Always late at night, and they never used the front door. The next morning were always reports of attacks in the park and the Sailor Senshi showing up to rescue people. Serena was never slow to put two and two together, despite what the others thought.

"I suppose, that means you're really Tuxedo Mask." She said into his shoulder. "But why are you telling me all this, and who are you?"

He hesitated a moment before leaning back, her head slipped from his shoulder and she looked at him questioningly as he searched her eyes. He started to move one of his hands towards his face but Serena stopped him before he could reach it. Then, very tentatively, she moved forward and withdrew his white mask.

* * *

I do have another one and a half chapters going, so I will hopefully get another up soon if anyone in internet land is reading these. Thanks to all who are. Stay tuned! Shannon 


	6. Carry on Dancing ch 6

Ah yes, the answer to your cliffhanger. I love doing that lol. No more waiting! On with the story…

* * *

My hand trembled as I clutched the white mask. The smoky blue eyes behind it had been Darien's. The look on his face was one I didn't recognize right away. It was…worry? This was the same way he looked when I had awoken only weeks before, when every one had been in my room for no apparent reason.

"Serena?" He breathed out. His eyes were searching mine again. I squeezed his hand.

Taking a deep breath I gathered myself for a moment. "I'm glad it's you." I said honestly. He smiled then. He was handsome when he smiled, and I realized why the girls would fall all over themselves as he approached.

"There's plenty more I need to tell you." He said taking my other hand. "I'm just glad you were okay with the fact that I was Tuxedo Mask."

"I think I may have been more surprised to find out it was someone else." I said before I could stop myself. I blushed at the comment, or maybe it was because he was still looking at me and grinning. I glanced around for something to take my attention off of Darien. "Um, who wrote that history? It sounded like the person had seen everything."

"This is where things get a bit more difficult." He said. He released my hands and pulled a chair over so that he and I were sitting face to face. "Serena, I want you to be completely honest with me for a moment." He raked a hand through his hair and I nodded reluctantly. "Tell me about your dreams recently."

I sat for a moment, stunned by his request. What in the world would my dreams have to do with any of this? "I don't know what you mean." I said.

"You haven't been having any weird dreams lately. Maybe one where you were Sailor Moon or anything like that?" He said leaning back in his chair.

"Oh, well I dream about that all the time." I said smiling. "That's not weird. The closest I've come to having any weird dreams is the one I keep having where I'm outside someplace. Its night time, there's music playing in the background and I'm dancing with someone, but I usually wake up before much else happens."

He sat up interested for a moment. "Tell me some more about this dream. Are there any other details?"

I thought for a moment trying to pull more of the fuzzy dream from my mind. "Not a lot. I can tell it's a full moon, or close to it, it's always very bright, but I never see it directly. Also, I know I'm wearing some gown. That part I remember. It's long and white and flows around me as I'm being whirled. My partner is someone I know; I'm very comfortable with whoever this is. I always have such a feeling of warmth and security." I tried closing my eyes to picture the scene. "It's such a wonderful dream. I always wake up very comforted."

When I opened my eyes I found Darien staring at me raptly with a secretive half smile on his face. I found it easier to be in his presence suddenly. I realized it was because we were alone and there wasn't anyone around us making us uncomfortable. Expecting us to hurl insults back and forth.

He stood suddenly and held out a hand. "I have a surprise for you. But we have to go back to your apartment for it."

"Alright." I said as I also stood and took his outstretched hand. I handed him his mask and he replaced it before striding toward the staircase.

As we emerged into the arcade from the broom closet, I realized how long we had been downstairs. The arcade was closed and silent. All the machines were black and cast dark shadows from the glow of the emergency lights. I had never seen the arcade after hours. The usual bright, happy atmosphere seemed spooky with no one around. I clenched Darien's hand a little more tightly as he led us toward the back door.

He unlocked it and we entered into the silent back alley. He removed his key ring from his pocket and secured the door behind us. Then he led me to his car and we took off into the Tokyo night.

We reached my apartment in hardly any time at all and he whisked us upstairs. We entered and I was again hit with a strange scene in my living room. This time, instead of a dark alleyway at night, it was a moonlit balcony.

I turned around to see more of this familiar image and found Darien had changed from his Tuxedo Mask costume. He wore a long dark cape secured with silver latches to a midnight blue tunic on which, across his broad chest, a riot of silver vines were sewn. Around his lean hips hung a black leather belt that a sword and scabbard swung from.

He strode towards me across the balcony and as he reached me he took one of my hands in his own. I felt a warm shiver move up my arm and I watched in amazement as my Sailor Moon costume dissolved into a flowing white gown of light gossamer silk with a high waist and a ripple of gold fabric that clung tightly to my breasts. On my feet were delicate glass slippers and I suddenly knew how Cinderella might have felt in her beautiful clothes. I turned in place and caught sight of myself in the window of one of the French doors. Though I knew there were layers upon layers of the dress, I was shocked to see the dark silhouette of my body through it. I blushed at how exposed I felt.

As I stood admiring the gown in my reflection, Darien came and stood behind me. He took one of my hands in his own again and leaned down toward my ear. "Is this familiar to you?" He said quietly. I nodded my head slowly and he turned me away from the mirror image of us.

He took my other hand and a delicate waltz floated softly through the air, as if an errant breeze were blowing the strains from a far off party. He wheeled us slowly into the beginning steps and I found how easy it was to let him lead me away.

It was a mild spring night and a chorus of frogs and insects were singing in companion to the music. As we whirled around I felt the calmness that usually accompanied my dream set in and I relaxed. I felt that a thousand years could go by and I would never tire of dancing or admiring the beautiful night.

The music changed, mellowed and slowed, and Darien gathered me close in his arms and led me in small circles. "I set this up for you, and no one but you and I ever knew about it." Darien whispered huskily into my ear. "You told me once it was your favorite memory of you and I, a night you wouldn't forget. It seems you were right." We continued to turn slowly and I watched the moons light glimmer off the pond in the nearby garden, and hundreds of stars wink and glint overhead.

As we danced, the more I looked around the more vivid little details became. Before, where I thought the marble balcony had been a smooth alabaster I found that it was engraved, all over in fact, with symbols and people. I sniffed lightly at the air and the scent of roses hung heavily on the cool breeze floating in from the garden.

I had my hands threaded behind Darien's neck, and the brush of the silky ends of his hair tickled me lightly. I reached up slowly, untangling one of my hands and ran my fingers through the hair at the back of his neck. I had done it unconsciously, just wanting to feel what his hair was like to the touch, and was shocked slightly when I heard a deep hum from where my head lay on his chest.

As I raised my eyes to his, I found him staring intently at me, a questioning gaze that burned deep into my own. He had ceased dancing and we stood saturated in the light of the moon, the music playing softly in the background. Ever so slowly he lowered his lips to mine. It was a soft, gentle caress, firm and fervent.

I closed my eyes; the passing emotions I usually felt in the dream paled to the feelings this was evoking. Awareness, comfort, warmth…love. I knew, even as his arms pressed me closer into him and his kiss deepened to something more, that my love for him was unquestionable. I felt acutely aware of everything around us suddenly, like when awakening from a dream and looking around for the first time.

He pulled back, a hair's breath from my lips, and I opened my eyes. He stood gazing at me, very intently and I knew I was missing something from this scene. Everything around me seemed more familiar now. I felt as if I should recognize what was happening and be able to remember what came next.

I stared up at him, falling into his gaze. I opened my mouth, but nothing followed. Something lingered in the back of my mind; it nagged to be put into words. It rolled for a moment begging to be said and even as the words spilled from my lips I was shocked that I had said them aloud. "I love you."

* * *

Props to me on another new chapter! Hooray! I do have another chapter that I think is about finished, but I'm still doing some tweeking on. Hope you all enjoyed. Review if you can! Shannon 


	7. Carry on Dancing Ch 7

Oh man, was that the longest wait ever for an update or what! On we go...

* * *

I stood gazing up for what seemed like an eternity into his stunned eyes. I could hardly believe what I had said, but I knew that I would never take it back. I moved my hand to his cheek and brushed my fingers lovingly over the contours of his jaw. Although I was pressed tightly to him, I felt like I needed to touch him and at the same time I was unsure if he would allow it. 

His smoky eyes darkened as my hand moved. He lowered his head to mine again and caught my lips in a heated kiss. If the last had been sweet, with a hint of something lost, this was raw with need. Something I had forgotten fueled the passion in my kiss. I knew the feeling this was evoking but couldn't place why. There was a block, a hopeless feeling of something greatly lost and it bothered me even as I allowed him to plunge deeper and tangle his tongue with my own.

As we stood entwined with each other, the scene that had been painstakingly set by my friends died around us. We stood in my living room wrapped up in each other, oblivious that four very stunned scouts surrounded us. I became acutely aware of some wandering hands, and I realized that although I was very comfortable with Darien, I couldn't remember enough about our past yet. I was just starting to seriously doubt how far I should let this go when I heard someone very loudly and very annoyingly clear their throat.

The two of us jumped apart breathing heavily. I glanced around at my friends who looked about as embarrassed as I was feeling at that moment.

"Um, you said to set the timer for only an hour." Sailor Jupiter said looking about as sheepish as I'd ever seen her.

Darien reached over and took my hand in his. "It's alright." He said.

Sailor Mars, who had been watching me skeptically, stepped forward and inspected me closely. I tilted back slightly as she stared at me. "Uh, is there something on my face?" I asked. She leaned back again as if she hadn't realized how near she really was.

"Sorry." She said, having the grace to blush "Do you remember us now?"

"Define remember." I said. "Because honestly, there is stuff I think we did but there are these big gaps still. I know there should be more, but I can't recall anything."

"Can you give us an example?" Asked Sailor Mercury pulling her cell phone from nowhere and typing on it.

"Uh, how about I remember having a nasty fight with Rei at the temple about being late again and then having to rush off and fight. But that's all I remember. I can't remember how I got home or whether we fought. And how much did I know about our past?" I asked turning to Darien. "Because things are still a little blurry there too."

"You remember when we were in the command center?" he asked awkwardly. "And you asked me who had written the histories of the moon palace?" I nodded. "It was the responsibility of the monarchy to keep an accurate account of all that went on within the walls, including anything that the current keeper wanted to add personally. Everything written in the volume you read earlier was written by your own hand not long ago."

For a moment I was stunned at the knowledge. Then very slowly a memory began to focus in my mind of a tall woman with long silver hair falling around her, telling me that my time had come to tell the story of our kingdom. I tried to focus on the woman's face but it wasn't clear what she looked like. I blinked as a hand passed before my eyes. "You in there?" asked Rei as I shook my head to clear my vision. "Well at least she's getting back to normal." She said smiling smugly and putting her hands on her hips.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

"I don't call you space cadet for nothing do I?" She replied. I heard a muffled giggle to my left and caught Mina looking pointedly at the wall socket across the room and turning red.

"Listen here," I began as I narrowed my eyes. "It seems to me there was a conversation we had not long ago about a certain mop haired boy that I wouldn't be at all ashamed of remembering out loud. I retained quite a bit of that conversation."

Rei's violet eyes widened with worry as the other girls turned interested questioning gazes at her. "You promised you would keep that a secret." She said quietly.

"Hmmm, I don't know if I recall that part..." I trailed airily.

Rei crossed her arms over chest and pouted for a moment. "I'm sorry." She said softly glaring at me.

"Alright, enough of this." Darien interrupted. "I think we need to figure out what Serena needs to do now. I know there are some problems you girls have been having that we need to sort out."

"Right," Amy began, typing away on her cell phone as she spoke. "Serena you were saying you remembered some things and not others. What else do you think you can remember?"

"Honestly, I'm still having trouble deciding whether some of my memories are real life or episodes of the show. Sometimes they very close and sometimes they're completely different." I said slumping a bit.

"Hmmm." Came Amy's reply as she clicked away at her cell phone. "Well that may create more problems then help in the end."

I looked at her skeptically and stifled a yawn. The past few hours were starting to get to me. As Amy stood typing, the girls gathered around asking questions about whether their power issues were permanent or not, whatever that meant, and I was starting to fall asleep on my feet. I felt light pressure on my hand and I widened my drooping eyes to see Darien staring at me.

"You look tired." He said quietly. "I know this whole day has been draining on you. Plus I'm sure your not one hundred percent after last night. Let's get you to bed." He tugged at my hand and I sluggishly followed after him. It took a moment for me to realize that he meant he and I by ourselves. I halted for a moment and he turned and looked at me as I put on the brakes.

"Uh, give me a second would you. I need to ask Rei a question." I said giving him my most charming smile. He shrugged and I grabbed Rei from the group of girls for a moment pulling her toward my kitchen.

"I'm not sure I remember something and I need you to help me. I'm sure this is something I've discussed with you, so please humor me for a moment." I said trying to act as serious as I'd ever been. She looked at me quizzically but shook her head in agreement. I leaned in close to Rei, though the other girls seemed preoccupied and Darien was fiddling with some part of his armor. "I'm not afraid to be alone with him, mind you, but well, I can't remember if he and I have ever…you know."

Rei smiled at me as she caught on to my thoughts. "Well, from what you've told me, yea you guys have. I don't when or anything, but that's the idea you always gave me. Listen though Serena, if you're worried he'll move too fast I think you know better. He's just trying to help you. He loves you; he wouldn't hurt you, in any way."

I nodded thinking about it for a moment. I watched as he tightened a strap attached to his scabbard and gave a tug on his tunic. Nothing had to happen right away, not until I was ready and Rei was right, he wouldn't push me. I straightened up a bit and gave Rei a hug for thanks. I headed back over to where he stood and took his hand again in mine. I nodded to him that I was ready now for bed and we disappeared into my darkened room.

I switched on the light as we entered and headed for my walk-in closet. I heard the door close softly behind me with a click. I rummaged around in a drawer and found my favorite pajamas, a soft pink t-shirt and matching pink boxer shorts. I changed quickly and hung the long white dress on a hanger very carefully. I ran my hands over the material and gazed at it for a long moment trying to recall the feelings I had had a short while ago. I stepped out of the closet and watched as Darien finished removing the hard metal plates that covered his tunic. I had never realized how much covering was truly involved in an outfit made for war. Although I was sure that what he was wearing was mainly for show, I was still in awe at its weight and amount.

He set his sword carefully on top of the pile in my wicker chair, and sat down on the edge of my bed to remove his boots. When he finished he sat staring at me for a long moment, I plucked up the courage to sit next him and laid my head gently on his shoulder. We sat there for a while he and I, I'm not sure what he was contemplating, but it was very relaxing to be in his presence and have nothing expected of me. Finally his arm came up and he began to stroke the hair at the side of my face. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my brow. "Are you ready to lie down?" he asked quietly brushing my hair back behind my ear.

I nodded slowly and he reached around with his other arm and gathered me to his warm frame. He picked me up carefully, and gently set me among the pillows at the head of my bed. He pulled the comforter, which he had turned down as I had changed, over me and stepped over to the light switch on the wall to turn out the light. I watched in the glow coming from the cracks in my blinds as he removed his tunic and placed it carefully across the arm of the chair. He made a move to sleep next to me above the covers, but I flipped them open at the last second. I hoped he realized I didn't mind him sleeping next to me. The fact was I had been expecting it and knew I never would have fallen into a restful sleep without him. He slid beneath the comforter and gathered me close to him. He pressed another soft kiss to my forehead and I turned my face toward his. I leaned in slowly and pressed my lips to his in a tender kiss. I didn't want to lead him as far as we had even gotten in the living room with my friends present, but I desperately wanted to have a few moments for just him and I.

He seemed to follow my train of thought and kept his kisses light and sweet. I nestled closer to him and lay my head on his chest. In the quiet of the room I could hear the soft beating of his heart and the silent sound of his breath coming and going. I was barely hanging on to consciousness when I heard him very quietly say something. "Hmm?" I managed as more a breath than a question.

"I love you too." He said very softly, the breath from his words moving the bangs on my head ever so slightly. Although I fell deep into sleep very soon after he said those hushed words, by the way his arms tightened around me I knew he felt the delighted grin that had stretched across my face as I dropped off.

* * *

Hey good news for anyone who is still reading (which is probably only my sister at this point) there's more! We'll see how I do this time around, but I'll do my best to get moving on the next chapter! Thanks for reading! Shannon 


	8. Carry on Dancing Ch 8

Yay, another chapter for you loyalists! Sorry it takes me so long! Enjoy!

* * *

I awoke very early. The cracks in the blinds had grown dark as the moon had long passed overhead. The numbers on my clock radio blinked Four AM at me from across the room and Darien was still there, curled next me on his side facing my closet. I lay there for a moment listening to him breath slowly and thinking about the dream that I had just had.

Maybe it was because of reading the account of what had happened on the Moon the night the Alien Queen attacked. I remembered from the show on T.V. the episodes where, ha ha, I had regained my memories from the past. I remembered Darien being taken by her and, when we finally figured out where he was being held, making the long trek to the Ice Castle hidden at the North Pole.

The dream I had was very similar to this, but I know it was my own memories of watching my friends disappear, one by one, as we tried to make it to the castle. Knowing they had died and it was because of me, knowing that I alone was going to do battle with the Queen, and hoping that I could stand against her. Hoping the belief my friends had placed in me wasn't wrong. I remembered standing in the freezing weather shivering, more from fear of letting them down than the cold, and asking for their strength.

When at last I was whisked away into the castle and stood face to face with Queen Beryl, I remembered finally feeling unafraid, knowing it was now or never, and I knew I had to win for the sake of the people on earth. I couldn't let them be forced to bow to a power that didn't belong here. I was strong and I could do it. And that's when I noticed a shadowy figure beside her. Someone knelt at her feet, his lips pressed to her hand with absolute reverence.

I don't think I had had, at that time, a greater shock in my life. I knew that he was working for them, and I knew that he was brainwashed, but the fall my heart made when he stood and revealed himself at her side was almost more than I was ready for. I know I swayed on my feet. The look in his blue eyes as they turned to me was stone cold. No one actually looked out and it was the most horrible sight I ever remembered seeing. No warmth, no light, no Darien.

Even in that awful moment, I vividly remembered wondering to myself if she could tell the difference, or wondering if she even cared. In her mind I supposed it didn't matter, she had him one way or the other and he did as she bid him to. It was then, as she sent him to kill me knowing that I wouldn't strike a blow, that it dawned on me this was her plan all along. The only way she could win would be to set him upon me, because surely nothing else would have stopped me.

I dodged his sword as long as I could, strike after strike, hoping I might see even a glimmer of Darien fighting to get out. I used my wand to try and counteract the brainwashing, but the waves of light passed right through him as if they were invisible. He walked straight through the stream to me and with out hesitation slapped the wand from my hand. For a petrified moment I wondered if I had the strength any longer to even dodge the next blow that I knew was coming. The Queens hideous cackling resounded in the background as she watched the final knell coming.

The whole thing sickened me more because I recognized the same scene that had been our death a thousand years earlier. But this time, I knew I didn't have it in me. How could I again steal the sword from him and strike? I hated the feel of burying it deep within his chest and the thought that it was the only way. I couldn't live with myself last time and I knew that I couldn't again, but this time there was no one else to fight the Queen at the end. They say history repeats itself but this was insanity. There had to be a reason for this second chance, death couldn't be the only way out.

My dodge of his blow certainly shocked him, at such close range a skilled swordsman should never have missed, but he didn't expect me to step to him instead of away. Using his momentary shock, I pressed myself to him and kissed him with all of the emotions I could find: my love for him, my friends, my family, my grief at their deaths, my fear for our safety and for the earth, and my anger at how nothing could be or would ever be simple. I could hear the sword clatter to the ground and an anguished cry from the angry Queen as I kissed him. From my closed eyes I felt tears stream in hope and in fear that I had made the right decision.

He stood absolutely motionless as I broke away and looked up. He stared down at me for a moment before he lifted a hand and brushed away the trail my tears had carved down my cheek. Somewhere in there he had still been fighting, help was all he needed and somehow I was able to give that to him. Funny what a simple gesture accomplishes sometimes.

A shriek that was from no human voice broke the moment as the Queen finally reacted. In seconds, a large crystal materialized in her hands and she threw it at us both. Darien produced a rose and hurled it at the crystal, while diving out of the way. He did as he always promised to do and protected me until the end which he found quickly by a stray shard as he pushed me to the ground. As I knelt beside him he breathed his last I love you. I wanted nothing more than to lie on that cold marble floor beside him and be done. Wishing it could be as simple as just waiting for the end, but the reason I still lived was the reason he died and it wouldn't be right to just lay it all down now.

The Queen had disappeared from the room as she had flung the crystal. I brought myself slowly to my feet and reached for my silver crystal. Last time it had been used against the Queen it had been meant to seal her away for all time, I knew that could no longer be her fate. No future earth needed to be threatened by her, especially one I couldn't be sure I'd be reborn again for.

I made my way back into the thrashing winds of the North Pole to face the Queen who, under the power of the Negaverse, had grown to the size of the Tokyo Tower at least. My next memories, still a tad hazy even in the dream, flash through this last battle. Rather than slowed down versions of themselves they flew by as if in fast forward mode. My transformation into the Moon princess, the beginnings of the fight, my friends powers helping, and Darien's final powers combining to not only deal the death blow to the Queen but vaporize any trace of the Negaverse she so easily pulled her power from.

Although I knew it was an end justifiable enough for all that had been caused by her jealous anger, I still felt pained that it had been by my hand. I truly believe that guilt is going to haunt me for the rest of my life more than anything else. And I thought hope was dangerous.

I was grateful at least that the horrible episode was over with, but I wondered now, if the Negaverse was destroyed, who was sending the new youma? It was a question for the girls in the morning for sure. I knew it had to be going on a few weeks now, only because I remembered they had been going on mysterious late night outings since about two months ago. It also seemed to me, at least compared to the one I had actually faced, that they seemed stronger, and stranger if that was at all possible. A beer bottle after all?

I sighed heavily and adjusted my pillow. I had forgotten Darien was sleeping beside me and I froze as he stirred slightly. He mumbled something in his sleep and turned towards me. I noticed although it was cool enough in the room, his forehead had a light sheen of sweat on it and his features were scrunched as if he were face to face with something truly unpleasant. I hoped it wasn't another bad dream; he seemed himself to be destined for un-restful sleep and nightmares for eternity.

It made me giggle quietly, and maybe a little hysterically, to myself. Yes, we were definitely a pair. If I didn't already know we should be together, it was another thing to add to the list.

I lay for a few minutes contemplating Darien and I again. I still couldn't believe how much had really happened between us and to us. It seemed so short a period of time. Different memories and scenes drifted in and out of focus as I thought about all the time we had lost too.

Since I was having a hard time remembering I was definitely going to have to speak to him first. There were things I knew, but didn't know if the scouts knew, that Darien might just know. Especially since they pertained to his now absent officers and my scouts.

Did they know that their Negaverse enemies had actually been their lovers once upon a time? Did they want to know for that matter? Rei seemed so happy with Chad, but knowing she had had a part in destroying someone who she had once called her soul mate…

I couldn't bear to think about the others reactions, they must not know, or at least have been denying it.

Darien stirred again beside me and his face scrunched tighter. I watched silently as in his sleep he reached forward, "Serena." He said more quietly then I had expected but so painfully. I reached out and threaded my own fingers into his grasping hand. I pulled myself closer to him and cuddled next to him hoping it would abate whatever dream he was having and make it pleasanter for him. "Darien" I answered back quietly near his ear. His face seemed to relax at once as if in his dream I had come to him as well. His other arm, which had been hidden somewhere beneath one of the pillows, drew me closer and tucked me further into his embrace.

I sighed happily as my worries began to leave me. I listened to the steady beating of his heart so close now to my own. His even breathing lulled me and his warm arms made me sleepy again. I was grateful for these few moments I got alone with him, when I could, that he could make everything else melt away for a short time. Now hidden from my view by Darien's comforting hold, my steady clock blinked Five AM as I dropped back into sleep.


End file.
